Pura Sangre
by MadRiver
Summary: As a girl, Hermione meets a mysterious boy. She thought she would never see her fair-haired friend again after being found by his family until she starts her new life at Hogwarts. She's surprised to meet Draco Malfoy and wonders at how familiar he looks.
1. Chapter 1

This is the latest in the musings of my mind. As I sat watching the soap opera Pura Sangre, it occurred to me that some of the ideas could be twisted around to fit my purposes and this is what resulted. Befittingly, Pura Sangre means Pure Blood which I don't need to explain associates greatly with J.K.'s world.

Disclaimer: This story is inspired by the Colombian soap opera "Pura Sangre" by Tania Cardenas, Mauricio Navas, Guillermo Restrepo and Conchita Ruiz. Also Harry Potter and any of its characters do not belong to me but to the wonderful J.K.R.

Enjoy.

**********

Pura Sangre

Chapter 1

Rated M (just to be safe)

**********

"Do you see it?"

Stormy gray eyes squinted to get a better look at what was being pointed out to him. He twisted his head sideways and still no luck.

"No, I don't see it." He frowned in the general direction of where he was supposed to be looking.

An exasperated sigh escaped the figure crouched next to him. He hated that sound. It made him feel as intelligent as an ant.

Small hands suddenly grabbed both sides of his head, turning it until he could finally spot the small cocoon dangling from the small green plant in front of them.

"Do you see it now?" she asked again, clearly about to lose her nonexistent patience.

"Yes, I see it!" He growled, annoyed at her tone. "What of it?" He huffed, refusing to show any interest since she was being so rude.

"That's a chrysalis, also known as a cocoon, and it's where butterflies come from." She lectured, glad to be the one to shed some light on this most important of subjects. "The butterfly goes through three changes before it gets to that point. It is first an egg, then a caterpillar, followed by a pupa which is protected by the chrysalis we are seeing now, and finally the adult butterfly that we see fluttering all around us." She finished with a bright smile and a sweeping gesture of her hand to their surroundings.

She looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to give his approval and awe at her vast knowledge.

A snort greeted her efforts, followed quickly by loud guffaws as he fell back on his bottom at the force of his amusement.

She stood up with her arms crossed defensively across her chest as she glared at the blond boy practically sprawled at her feet.

"What's so funny!?" She whined when she couldn't take it anymore.

"You sound like a bloody book!" He sniggered at her, finally starting to calm down and wiping tears from the corner of his eyes.

"So what!? I **read** it in a book so of course I'm going to sound like one!" She defended herself but was unable to hide the hurt his words caused.

He sobered up as he glanced up at her, noting the way her shoulders sagged miserably at his response, her head turned away from him completely. He picked himself up from the ground slowly, wiping his hands on the back of his pants before making his way closer to her hunched form.

He watched her carefully, hoping she would turn back to him without him having to do what he knew he had to do. He let out a sigh and rolled his eyes in frustration. Girls!

"I'm sorry… alright?" He ground out through clenched teeth. In his long list of unpleasant things that he'd rather not have to do… **ever**… was apologizing.

Her head quirked slightly towards him, letting him know she was about to forgive him but he knew he had a little bit more groveling left to do.

"I'm… sorry that I reacted like that and…" he trailed off at a loss for what else to say.

"And…" she repeated turning fully towards him, warm brown eyes gazing hopefully up at him.

"And… I should be more grateful that you are so helpfully sharing your great wisdom with me." He smirked down at her, not being able to stop from pulling her leg a little bit more.

She pouted prettily while giving him a measuring look, trying to gauge the sincerity behind his words. She finally seemed to reach a decision as she nodded her head once to let him know she accepted his honest, albeit snarky, apology.

"You **should** be grateful… I'm only trying to answer the question you had the other day about the butterflies… I spent a whole afternoon looking them up on the internet just for you!" She stomped her foot on the ground for emphasis as she glared up at him.

He frowned at the unfamiliar word but quickly fought back the urge to ask her what an internet was, knowing fully well that asking her would be putting him on very thin ice. He decided to just file it away in the back of his mind like he'd done a dozen other things she'd mentioned and instead decided to focus on an earlier statement she'd made.

"I thought you said you read it in a book?" He asked, letting some of the confusion he was feeling seep through and hoping he hadn't just made a mistake in asking since he was simply assuming that an internet and a book were two different things.

"I did… I read it in an encyclopedia on the internet." She clarified, as if that explained everything.

Now he **really** wanted to know what an internet was but refrained from asking and instead decided to drop the subject altogether. There really wasn't much he could do to satisfy his curiosity with this.

He glanced up to the sky, noticing the reds and yellows that signified the setting of the sun. He needed to be getting back before his father realized he was gone.

She seemed to pick up on his preoccupation and glanced up as well. She smiled wistfully as she turned her eyes back down to him.

"You know… it has occurred to me that I don't even know your name." She whispered shyly.

His eyes snapped down to hers, startled at the statement. He knew this would happen eventually and had been dreading it. He had hoped they could finish their summer and never have to touch upon this subject.

He had been characteristically sneaky in avoiding talking about this, but if there was one thing he'd learned about his unlikely friend was that she was inquisitive and perceptive to a fault. Not to mention highly intelligent… anyone with half a brain could appreciate that about her.

Since the beginning of his summer holidays he had been coming down to this meadow. He would run through the tall grass and climb the trees, amusing himself with the startled squawks from the local fauna. He would travel the little known pathway to the clearing at the bottom of the small hill and the lake surrounded by the tall trees and large rocks where he would rest after a long swim.

It was on one of those days that he had come across her.

She had sat reclining against one of the trees facing the water, a book propped between her crossed legs as she gazed thoughtfully in front of her.

Curious as always he had studied her from a safe distance, debating whether or not to approach her. Truth was he was bored out of his mind.

There weren't very many things for an eight year old boy to do in a stuffy old mansion with naught but boring adults and even more boring parties to keep him company. He was more than tempted to stroll over to her and start a conversation but one glaring fact about the girl sitting in front of him kept him rooted to the spot.

She was a muggle.

He knew by her demeanor, her clothing, the odd things plugged into her ears.

Not to mention that he knew just about all of the children of consequence that made up the Wizarding World's elite youth and this girl was not one of them.

His father would string him up by his toes if he even suspected that his one and only son were considering associating with one.

But instead of making him turn around and run back home the thought of talking to one of **them** was too much to refuse. Even her odd clothing had him taking a step forward before he could stop himself.

He'd never been this close to one of them before. Even when out and about with his parents, his father always made sure to cut a wide berth around them even going so far as taking longer ways to his destination just so that they wouldn't come into contact with them.

In the end the decision had been taken from him when she had suddenly snapped her eyes in his direction. Some movement on his part must have alerted her to his presence and she had glanced his way with surprise, a wide smile lighting her face.

"Hello." She had said timidly, hesitation evident as she turned towards him.

He had been caught red handed by her and had nothing else to say but "hello" back.

He had walked uncertainly towards her and had sat about three feet away from her for the rest of their time together that afternoon and for about a whole week after that before he was confident enough that she wouldn't sprout a second head and tear him to pieces.

Progress was slow where he was concerned and if she found it odd, she never mentioned it. He would jump at any sudden movements and she would frown confusedly at him before shaking her head dismissively.

They would sit in silence for long periods of time, she reading and him looking at her. She would fidget self-consciously and break the silence with short spurts of conversation which eventually turned into the easy banter they shared now.

An uneasy friendship had started between them until they had run and swam together through their summer. But every time the dreaded question of who he was sprang up he would find a way to wriggle out of it. Until now.

He racked his brain for a feasible excuse, something she would believe without too much fuss, before settling on telling her the half truth he had been cooking up just for such an eventuality.

"I can't say…" was his eloquent reply. There really wasn't much else he could say to her about the subject. He was a Pureblooded Wizard. Just being in her presence could be construed as madness. Just breathing the same air as him could cost her dearly.

The nature of what he was in itself contradicted everything they had become to each other. He had never been meant to ever meet a muggle, let alone befriend one, and he was afraid.

He was afraid of what his name on her lips could mean for her. His was not a common name. If heard by mistake by the wrong sort she could be taken never to be seen again.

Even at the tender age of eight he was aware that there were things he should fear. Things that were beyond even the power of his father and that could be punished in the most painful of ways.

He did not wish any of these things on this muggle.

Although it also meant he would never know her by name either, the consequences outweighed the reward.

He also didn't want to lie to her.

It would be easy to give her some fake name and never think of it again but…. he liked her. He truly, genuinely liked her and he didn't want to mar his memories of her with this. He had already shared so much with her, gotten to know her so well, that he felt like he couldn't do it.

"What do you mean you can't say?" She was slightly puzzled. That was a weird reply to such an innocent question but upon further thought it wasn't far beyond the scope of things where this boy was concerned.

He came and went like a ghost, one moment here and the next gone. She never knew when and if he would show up and when he did it was always a process to get him to relax around her.

She knew all about boys and cooties but she had never experienced such an extreme case before which naturally led her to believe that there had to be more to what he wasn't saying.

It was just that she wanted to put a name to the face, to know what to call her friend when they were both gone. She didn't have very many friends back at home so any one that she made she cherished like the most valuable treasure.

Also, her mother and father were starting to give her weird looks whenever she mentioned 'the boy' from the lake and it didn't take a genius to deduce that they were starting to wonder if she had finally gone bonkers.

"My… my family…" he started, unsure of what to say, of how to continue.

"What about your family?" She asked when it seemed that was as far as he was going to go.

He swallowed the knot in his throat, gauging how far he was willing to go on the path to enlightening her. He looked into her eyes, taking notice of every nuance in her face… the pert nose, the flushed cheeks, the unsmiling lips and the utterly accepting gaze trained on him.

He raked a hand through his hair, something she had learned meant he was exasperated with her, and let the hand trail back to cover his face.

He looked at her through the gap between his fingers before letting it drop back down and taking a deep breath.

"My family would not approve of my association with you." There. He had said it.

He felt awful at the admission and the look on her face did not make it any better. He could tell the moment the statement registered completely in her mind. Her face became strained and her eyes narrowed slightly with hurt, her lower lip trembled.

"I'm sorry." This time it came easily to his lips, there really was nothing else he could say.

She tucked a wayward curl behind her ear, her fingers trailing to twirl around the end of one of her braids. She was at a loss for words, not something that happened to her very often.

"Why?" She finally managed to croak out; she simply had to know what unspeakable crime she had committed not to be worthy of this boy's friendship.

"I come from a very old, very traditional family and as such there are certain things… certain behaviors that are expected of me." He looked at the ground, unwilling to meet her gaze any longer.

"Very old and traditional…you mean like rich?" She finally asked after a pause.

"Ah… yes…" he really didn't want to say anymore and hoped that she would draw her own conclusions with her overactive imagination and she truly did not disappoint.

"Oh! I see!" She finally exclaimed, her face brightening up at whatever conclusion she had arrived at.

"You… do?" He asked, curious as to what she cooked up in her mind to explain things away.

"Of course! Why didn't you say so before! An old, rich and traditional family probably wouldn't want their son to get involved with commoners… I get it! You must be one of those titled lords I've read about in the magazines!" She was giddy with this knowledge and some things were starting to make sense in her mind.

Like the way he talked for instance… sometimes he sounded like he came from another time. And the clothing he wore was obviously of very high quality and extremely uncomfortable looking not to mention completely inappropriate for running through the woods.

"Yes, that's right!" He replied, his mood also improved at her reasoning. It wasn't that far from the actual truth and it helped explain away so much about some of his behaviors that he was surprised that he hadn't thought about it himself. He supposed he was the equivalent of a titled lord in the Wizarding community. His family was rich and powerful and very influential… it truly wasn't so farfetched at all.

"Though I should mention that we are far beyond the dark ages, you know? The times when you weren't allowed to address someone just because of their lineage are long past." She finished with conviction, looking to him for confirmation.

"Yes, but there are also some things that are far beyond what you and me can do… and this is one of them. I don't make the rules. I'm not allowed to associate with you and as such I don't think I should tell you my name. I don't want you slipping and telling it to someone… even if just by mistake." He said sternly. It was imperative that she understood the seriousness of the situation. He would not budge on this.

"What could one name do? It's not like we have the same friends or go to the same schools. You could tell me your name, your first name, and I would never know who you are in truth." She tried to persuade him. It really was very silly for him to refuse to tell him at least one of his names; his family would never find out… there was no way for them to.

She smiled winningly at him, willing him to change his mind with her eyes.

"No and that's final." He crossed his arms stubbornly. She wasn't going to sway him to her way of thinking this time.

"Oh fine!" she let out, throwing her arms up. She knew that stance, having experienced it quite a few times during their time together. He really wasn't going to be telling her anything tonight. "But let's at least come up with a name for you… and for me."

"For you? I don't see why…." He began, baffled at her proposition.

"Because if you're not telling me yours then I'm not telling you mine!" She interrupted with a huff at his audacity.

"Alright… how should we do this then?" he was amused at her antics and a little vexed, he had really wanted to know her name, but there wasn't much he could do about it… it was only fair.

"How about we each think of a name that represents us or our name and we use that to identify each other." She supplied helpfully, already running a handful of names through her mind. "Perhaps if we are clever enough we can decipher what our names mean and figure out what our real names are!" She finished excitedly, looking forward to what he would put forth.

"Alright… in that case, I think I already have a name in mind." He was smug about what he'd come up with because even if she came up with the right answer she wouldn't believe that she had figured out his name.

"Me too!" She thought about how clever she was being about this one… there was no way he would ever figure it out. "You first."

"Call me Thuban." He grinned, very impressed at his wittiness.

"Thuban? Isn't that the name of a star or something?" She asked smartly, she would have to read up on her astronomy it seemed.

He was taken aback at how quickly she narrowed her search. He was in trouble if this is what he had to go by. Instead of giving her a definite answer he shrugged his shoulders, hoping she wouldn't keep pressing the issue.

"That's okay if you won't answer me, I'll figure it out eventually… In the meantime, you may call me Bianca." She smirked knowingly; he was going to have to search far and wide in order to find the connection between Bianca and her real name.

She chuckled at the blank look he gave her and shrugged her shoulders in a mockery of his earlier gesture.

"Well, then… it is very nice to meet you, Bianca." He whispered, knowing he had taken one step further from his teachings, from his very way of life.

"It's really nice to meet you too, Thuban."

******

What do you guys think? A cookie for those of you that can figure out the meaning behind Hermione's name. Draco's should be easy enough; I already gave you a big hint. R & R is always a wonderful thing!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: This story is inspired by the Colombian soap opera "Pura Sangre" by Tania Cardenas, Mauricio Navas, Guillermo Restrepo and Conchita Ruiz. Also Harry Potter and any of its characters do not belong to me but to the wonderful J.K.R.

Enjoy.

**********

Pura Sangre

Chapter 2

Rated M (just to be safe)

**********

"Draco! Where on earth is that boy?!" The voice of one Lucius Malfoy could be heard clear across the mansion.

He strolled down the hallway in search of his wayward son and made a detour into his wife's sunroom in hopes of finding him there.

"Draco!" He bellowed into the room making his wife, who had been embroidering in the light streaming in through one of the tall windows, jump.

"Lucius, you gave me a fright!" She exclaimed, placing a dainty hand over her heart.

He gave a cursory glance around the airy room in hopes of catching a glance of wispy blond hair.

"He's not here." She provided helpfully so she could get on with her needlework. She was almost done and she was looking forward to hanging the finished product in Draco's bathroom.

Lucius let out an exasperated breath when he noticed his wife was not as worried as he over his son's disappearance.

"Our son is missing and all you can think about is that damnable rag!?" He yelled making her jump again.

"Really dear, there's no reason for you to be such a boar." She said while giving him reproaching look. "He's probably down by the lake, as usual." She finished and turned back to her project without giving him another look.

"Again? Whatever could be so interesting in that puddle that keeps him going there every single day?" He wondered silently to himself not really expecting an answer.

"Don't know, probably doing whatever little boys do when out and about… I wouldn't worry too much about it." Narcissa commented absently, her face falling closer to the embroidery stand a look of concentration settling over her features.

"Still… it's just not natural, for him I mean. He's never liked getting dirty like other boys his age so this new fascination with the outdoors has me a bit thrown." He confessed, finally walking fully into the room and falling gracefully into a settee.

"If you're so worried about him, why don't you just go down and see what he's up to." She offered, sitting back with a smile of satisfaction at her creation. She was done.

"You know, I might just do that." Was his final retort as he glanced pensively out the windows.

************

"Thuban…"

"Yes, Bianca?"

"I really don't want this summer to end." She whispered as she floated by him in the lake arms and legs spread wide as they enjoyed the warm sun and equally warm water.

He watched her go by with a happy smile on his face. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt this good in his life. Who knew that rolling around in murky water, feet touching who knew what, could be so enjoyable.

"Yeah…" he murmured back, closing his eyes and throwing his head back so that the sun rays hit his usually pale face more fully.

Hermione chose that moment to right herself and glanced up to find him absorbing the sunlight. She smiled devilishly and quietly swam towards him.

With a quick move, she wrapped her hands around the back of his head while digging her left foot into his stomach and heaved him forward until dunking him fully into the water. Just as quickly as she'd grabbed him, she let go and swam away screeching with laughter as his sweeping arms grazed her stomach in an attempt to grab her even before he had come out of the water.

He came up spluttering and spitting water out of his gasping mouth. He coughed violently and wiped water out of his eyes before focusing on the laughing form of his companion. This meant war.

"You're going to pay for that!" He growled before barreling his thin form towards her as she struggled to backpedal as fast as she could but failing miserably as she was still laughing so hard. He caught her easily in his arms, wrapping them tightly around her waist from behind so she couldn't wriggle out of them.

"No Thuban! No!" She screeched between mirth and fear of being thrown into the lake.

"I think you're going to have to do better than that to convince me." He smirked as he lowered his face to rest against the side of hers. "Why should I have any mercy on you?" He whispered, enjoying how her hilarity was starting to switch to uneasiness.

Hermione quieted her struggles until she was simply standing with her hands covering his forearms and his warm face pressed so closely she could feel his breath tickling her ear.

She giggled girlishly at the sensation and swiped playfully at his face with her right hand. "You're so stupid!" She added as she turned her head to look at him playfully over her shoulder.

"I know!" He replied right before he bent his knees slightly and removed his hands from her waist so he could heave her up and quickly throw her as far as he could away from him.

Now it was his turn to point and laugh as she sputtered and fought to gain her footing. She finally came to stand before him, wiping hair and water from her face and spitting to the side to get the taste of the dirty water out of her mouth.

She glared up at him with annoyance, silently promising retribution for the next time she caught him unaware. She wasn't stupid enough to try to take him on when she had his full attention, no matter that they were almost the same height and nearly the same build, he was still a boy and they could be extremely single-minded when it came to exacting revenge as well as extremely fast… at least this one was. He had really good reflexes which made pulling pranks on him almost impossible. She was constantly at attention trying to catch any opportunity she could take advantage of.

"Har, har… laugh it up star boy, I'll get you next time." She smiled sweetly at him before starting to make her way back to the bank where she laid down to start drying out her clothing. Her mom was going to kill her.

He followed her cue and moved to join her, plopping down next to her prone form and eyeing her soaking wet dress. He shook his head indulgently at the state she was in and let himself fall backwards to join her, resting his head on his crossed arms.

It had been her idea to go swimming and neither of them had been prepared for it.

Draco had eyed her skeptically when she had suggested it. He wasn't sure if a pretty pink dress was appropriate attire for that particular activity, and he had said so, but she'd simply thrown her head back and laughed at his 'silliness.' Apparently, he was more worried than she was about her absurdly girly dress. She said she hated it and would be glad if she had to throw it out because of this.

So she'd proceeded to flounce over to the lake, giving him a teasing look over her shoulder before turning back and lifting her hands to her braids. She'd hesitated then, before nodding her head once and taking a deep breath as if gathering strength as she unbound her hair.

It hadn't occurred to him until then that he'd never seen her with anything other than braided hair and wondered momentarily at that. Her hesitation at letting it down also gave him pause until he shrugged his shoulders and let it go. Since when did he spend so much time thinking about a girl's hairstyle? She could hack it all off for all he cared.

He'd gotten a quick glimpse of a heavy mass of honey brown curls hanging down her back before he noticed that she'd already slipped out of her shoes and she was off into the water, submerging herself from head to toes momentarily before breaking the surface with a satisfied gasp.

She'd laughed merrily at the look on his face and proclaimed the water absolutely divine.

He'd stared down at his carefully pressed short pants, impeccable short-sleeved white shirt, white socks and shiny black dress shoes. For as long as he'd been meeting her down here they'd never gone swimming together.

Before he'd met her, he'd stripped down to his underpants and thrown himself in the water for a quick dip all of the time. But ever since he'd begun spending time with her he'd been too busy having fun with the novelty that was her to pay the lake any mind.

Now, he'd been unsure of what to do. Stripping down to almost nothing was highly inappropriate and he'd been mildly shocked that a **girl,** of all things, had disregarded propriety and was basically pressuring him into getting in the dirty water with her.

It was unheard of! It was against everything he'd been taught about comportment!

It was unbelievably fantastic!

So he'd quickly come to a decision and chucked his shirt, socks and shoes (his mother would be suspicious and highly scandalized if he came home with a stained shirt) and had followed her in.

She let out a deep, contented sigh and sat up. She needed to be getting back home.

"I have to go." She said regretfully as she stared out at the lake longingly.

"Why? I don't think it's even three yet." He sat up as well and studied her profile, not for the first time. The only difference now was the riotous mass she called her hair. He smiled to himself… he thought he had the mystery of the braids figured out.

"I have relatives coming over for a visit. It's almost time to head back home so mum and dad thought they could celebrate my birthday early this year and invite some family over for a few days and have a grand picnic with loads of dancing and loads of food. I actually don't know if I'll be able to come tomorrow." She gestured with her hands as she spoke, a bad habit if he'd ever seen one, but one that let him know she was anxious about something.

"You're celebrating your birthday? When's your birthday?" He asked, curious as to the day-to-day habits of a muggle.

"The nineteenth… and I was wondering if… if you'd like to come?" Hermione glanced at him out of the corner of her eye trying to see his reaction to the question.

He went very still, dropping his disappointed gaze to the ground at the knowledge of what he was about to do and the knowledge that there was no other way.

She knew the answer to her question before he even opened his mouth, his posture said it all. She bit her lip to stop herself from yelling at him. It had been a long shot anyway; he'd already told her they weren't even supposed to be friends so how was he to explain to his parents that he was was going to visit her. He couldn't do it and she needed to accept that.

It still didn't stop the hurt though.

He looked up just in time to see her fight back tears and knew he didn't need to say anything else.

"I'm really sorry." He apologized instead. It seemed to be something he did a lot around her.

"It's okay. I don't know why I even asked since I already knew what your answer was going to be." She whispered, turning her face away from him until her hair hid her from his view.

The tone of her voice was enough to break his heart. He'd never known someone that could influence his moods to such an extent. Every day he went home and collapsed on his bed from sheer mental exhaustion. She really was a force to be reckoned with.

That same influence had him opening his mouth before he even knew what he was going to say, "I can't come to your house but… how about you meet me here instead?"

"I already told you I don't think I can make it… there'll be a lot of people there and everyone is coming to see me." She answered half-heartedly. There was nothing she would like more than spending time with him tomorrow.

"Then, perhaps, you should come later?" He asked excitedly, a half-formed plan taking shape in his mind.

"Later? As in, at night?" She turned to him, the same excitement shining in her eyes.

"Yeah! Meet me here around…. seven?" He asked looking for her approval.

"Better make it eight… I don't think seven will be late enough to get away from some of my aunts." The impish smile she directed towards him had his heart beating a little faster than usual but he paid it no mind chucking it up to the fact that come tomorrow night he would be breaking more than a couple of his father's rules.

Hermione stared thoughtfully into his stormy gray eyes, wisps of soft blond hair falling annoyingly into them, and had to hold herself back from throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing the daylights out of him. She knew, by what he'd said about his family and how strict it was, that he would be sticking his neck out for her. He could get into a world of trouble for what he was going to do and he was doing it anyway, just to make it her happy. She was so lucky to have a friend like him. However, she was forever mindful of her feminine cooties. He was still hesitant to touch her from time to time and she had to respect that.

"Tomorrow at eight then?" He asked, just so they were clear.

"Tomorrow at eight."

*************

Cold, gray eyes followed the small form making its way through the rocky pathway that led down to the meadow and lake. They narrowed at the smile widening the child's lips and he shifted his weight so he could inspect him more closely.

His pants were wet.

Not only that, but now that he looked more closely it looked like Draco was slightly tan as well. Not at all fashionable and highly improper. Gentlemen of their standing never needed to spend so much time in the sun that they became darkened by it.

Draco knew this as well as he knew that he was never to be anything less than impeccable. What if anyone were to pop in for a visit and find Lucius' one and only son in such disarray? He was mortified by even thinking about it.

And again it all came down to the question of why.

Why was his son defying every rule that had been drilled into him from the moment he was born? Why was Draco defying **him**? The child knew what happened when Lucius was disobeyed so why was he willing to incur his wrath just for a swim down by the lake? It just didn't make sense.

He decided to not say anything right now. No, he would bide his time instead and try to see with his own eyes just what was so fascinating about that bloody meadow.

*****************

There you have it, chapter two. Please review if you read, it really helps keep me interested in posting the story if I know that there are people reading it, otherwise I'll just write it and keep it stored in my computer for my own amusement since that's the real reason I like writing anyway. Let me know if this is good or if I should scrap it and forget about writing altogether.

Miyu Maniac- nice try but nope! That's not why!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: This story was inspired by the Colombian soap opera "Pura Sangre" by Tania Cardenas, Mauricio Navas, Guillermo Restrepo and Conchita Ruiz. Also Harry Potter and any of its characters do not belong to me but to the wonderful J.K.R. I've also used Wikipedia (not a very reliable source, I know, but it is the quickest!) in a lot of my research for this chapter.

Thank you for all of the kind reviews! They pushed me to have this chapter out this week instead of the next one. You guys have no idea just how much of a procrastinator I can be!

Enjoy.

**********

"Is something the matter, Draco?"

"No, of course not father." Draco had to force himself not to jump at the sound of his father's voice. It was becoming increasingly difficult to sit still and not glare at the grandfather clock. It was as if the thing was mocking him by going slower and slower every minute.

Lucius studied his son out of the corner of his eye. There was something obviously wrong with the boy. He was fidgeting in a way that Lucius thought had been corrected out of him and kept glancing at the clock every few minutes. Not to mention that he was looking as pale as a ghost and had not kept to his customary schedule.

He hadn't gone anywhere today which made Lucius wonder if Draco had realized his misgivings and his plans of following him.

Lucius kept his face carefully blank, chewing his food slowly. The boy could be disturbingly perceptive and he didn't want to give any of his thoughts away. Lucius prided himself on being able to sniff out when someone was trying to pull the wool over his eyes and his son had 'up-to-no-good' written all over his face.

There was something going on and he was determined to find out what as soon as possible. If his son's actions were any indication, something big was happening probably as soon as tonight.

Draco snuck another peek at the clock and pushed his food around his plate a little more. He had completely lost his appetite. He couldn't wait to see Bianca and the look on her face when she saw the surprise he had for her.

As an heir to the Black family he had been gifted with many jewels that had been passed down through many generations of Black children and were meant to be worn on special occasions by said children. Some of these jewels had once belonged to his mother but seeing as to how she'd only had him, and his only other female cousin was on the fringes of the family due to her mother's unfortunate choice of spouse, they had fallen into his hands.

He tried to cover up the shiver that went down his spine at what his maternal grandmother would have had to say about what he would be doing with one of those precious family heirlooms in less than two hours.

Draco knew he **shouldn't** be giving any of these items away, they were meant for his own children after all, but he should **definitely **not be giving any of them away to a **Muggle**.

Indecision warred inside of him, yet he couldn't help feeling that this was the right thing to do. Bianca wasn't just a **Muggle** to him anymore. She was **special**.

He'd never met someone who didn't know his whole entire family history before they even said hello. He'd never known **anyone** whose family hadn't already calculated how much he would be worth by the time he came of age.

He'd never felt genuine friendship before.

This girl had no designs on him or his money. She could care less about his allegiances and how much he could improve her position in the world, and as such she deserved the best he could give her.

At this moment the best he could gift her with was a medallion of unknown age and value. He honestly did not want to know just how much this trinket was worth.

But it was beautiful.

As far as he could tell the small medallion was made of pure gold; it depicted a Unicorn running through a meadow on a starry night, a castle rising majestically in the distance and a crown of flowers encircling the scene. A delicate gold chain looped through a small hoop at the top of the pendant and would rest nicely around Bianca's neck.

As per his tutor's teachings he had learnt that a Unicorn was a protector and companion to all maidens and that they signified everything that was pure and innocent. He thought it was quite fitting. As soon as he'd seen it he knew it was **the** gift.

He snapped out of his musings at the clearing of a throat and belatedly realized that he'd been staring off into nothing for quite some time. His father was frowning at him now while his mother smiled cheerfully to herself, lost in her own thoughts.

He glanced at his father again and tried to cover his faux pas by straightening his posture and shoving a small bite of potatoes into his mouth. It wouldn't do for his father to grow suspicious of him now. He needed to keep it together for just a little bit longer and then he could sneak out to meet with Bianca with no one the wiser.

**********

"And don't forget to wash your face, darling."

"Yes, mother." Draco said through gritted teeth. He loved his mother and he loved the never-ending attention she showered upon him but sometimes, like now, when he was dying to get away, she grated upon his last nerve.

He was half-way to the sweeping staircase and she was still reminding him of things he already knew he had to do every single night. She had come to stand at the doorway to the main parlor, where they retired to every night after dinner, so she wouldn't have to yell.

"Good night, sweetheart!" Narcissa exclaimed to her son's back as he hurried up the stairs and thought she caught a faint 'good night, mother' before he disappeared above stairs.

She shook her head and sighed, her little boy was growing right before her eyes and there was nothing she could do about it. She stepped back into the room and closed the door softly behind her, her eyes immediately moving to the imposing figure staring grimly out a window, a brandy snifter cradled in his left hand and a cigar held between two fingers in his right.

She smiled softly and moved smoothly to his side, sliding an arm around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. "Whatever is the matter, Lucius? You look much too pensive for such a beautiful night."

"I'm worried about the boy." He said quietly. Draco **never** disregarded his mother's affections and the fact that he had just ran out of the room as if the hounds of hell were on his tail, while Narcissa was still in the middle of her prattling, was very telling. Draco was doing something he wasn't supposed to, now he had no doubts about it.

"Oh, Darling… can't you just leave the poor boy alone?" She whispered back. Narcissa knew Lucius hated being questioned but when it came to Draco she always had to speak up.

If it were up to her husband, her boy would never have any fun. There were tutors for nearly every aspect of Draco's life. There were tutors for his schooling, tutors for broom and horseback riding, tutors for etiquette and piano.

She'd honestly lost count of how many things Lucius had Draco being groomed in, which was one of the reasons she had become her son's champion of sorts.

She'd even been the one to suggest moving to this mansion out in the country for their summer holiday. If they'd stayed back in Wiltshire, Lucius would've made sure Draco kept studying through the rest of the year without rest and that simply wouldn't do.

She still hadn't been able to save him fully as Lucius still expected Draco to study for a few hours every afternoon before dinner but at least it was an improvement in that he'd had all of Draco's tutors dismissed for the summer and her son was allowed to learn at his leisure.

And now that Draco had apparently found something to entertain himself with, Lucius was once again up to his usual overbearing ways by trying to find malice where there wasn't any.

"Don't argue with me. I know something is the matter and I'm going to find out what." He growled and made as if to leave her embrace but she was quicker and moved in front of him to grip him fully, holding on tightly so he couldn't get away.

"Alright, dear… have it your way… but won't you spend some time with me first?" She conceded, kissing the side of his neck softly. There was never any use arguing with him when he'd made up his mind but there were always ways to distract him, and this one just happened to be one of her favorites.

Lucius chuckled. He knew what his wife was up to, many years of marriage made him attuned to her idiosyncrasies, but he was always willing to play along. There was plenty of time to deal with the boy… later.

Meanwhile, Draco couldn't seem to get to his bedroom fast enough. As soon as he was out of eyesight of his mother, he broke into a sprint, skidding on the floor and struggling to regain his balance in his hurry to get there.

He swung his door open and cringed when it hit the wall with a loud bang. He froze in the doorway, holding his breath, waiting for all hell to break lose but also knowing that the likelihood of being heard all the way downstairs was slim to none. Nevertheless, it never hurt to be cautious so he waited a few moments before moving completely inside the room and shutting the door more quietly behind him.

He made his way determinedly to his dresser, not bothering to turn any of the lights on since there was plenty of light streaming in through the wide French windows from the full moon shining outside, and searched quickly for the necklace inside one of his drawers.

He let out a happy laugh when he found it again. He'd been forced to shove it to the bottom of his drawer when he'd been admiring it this afternoon and his mother had breezed in without knocking. She'd nearly given him a heart attack and he'd had to play it off by pretending he'd had underpants in his hands and was embarrassed to have been caught by his mother.

He'd moved slowly towards his dresser, with his hands behind his back, before awkwardly opening one of the drawers and shoving the necklace inside away from inquisitive eyes.

He'd seen a curious glint in his mother's eyes that'd made him wonder if she'd believed his story but had been relieved when she hadn't pursued the matter and had instead lured him out of his room with promises of fresh baked sweet pastries.

He dangled the delicate chain from his fingers, appreciating how the light of the moon shone off the small pendant and had a moment to regret not having appropriate wrapping for his gift. There was no other way, however. To have asked his mother for such things would've only raised suspicion.

He shoved the necklace into his pocket and made his way towards his closet, making sure not to slam this door when he opened it, and grabbing his broom. He'd snuck his broom from the broom shed this afternoon when no one was looking, mainly his father, and had stashed it behind some of his dress robes so he could use it to fly down from his second story bedroom.

He shook his head for what felt like the hundredth time that day. He just couldn't get over how many rules he was breaking for this Muggle girl. Not to mention how many taboos.

His father would leave his bottom sore if he or anyone ever found out. Draco Malfoy, the one and only pureblood son and heir of Lucius Malfoy, caught canoodling with a _Muggle_. He thought the shame alone would be enough to send his father to St. Mungo's.

That thought made him stop in the middle of his room. He took a deep fortifying breath and tried to harden his determination. His father would never know; no one would ever need to know… this would forever remain his secret.

He would probably never see Bianca again after this summer. The least he could do was not leave her hanging and commemorate the time they'd spent together with a small token of his appreciation for her.

And that's what he had to keep telling himself. This was perhaps the first unselfish thing he'd ever done in his life and he wasn't going to let his courage fail him now, even though every fiber of his being was telling him not to go through with it and that it wasn't worth it.

He was doing this for **her**.

**That** thought had his feet moving towards the window, hands grasping the broom in his hands tightly. He let go of his death grip momentarily to open the window with one hand then mounted his broom and kicked off the ground, pushing forward until he was hovering just outside.

He looked inside the darkened room for one last time then pointed his broom towards where he knew the meadow to be and took off silently through the brightly lit night.

He touched down just before the clearing of the lake, the tree tops serving as enough coverage that he felt confident no one, especially Bianca, would see his descent.

Draco took a moment to hide his broom and it was then he belatedly noticed he had not left his robes behind. He quickly took them off and shoved them underneath a nearby bush. They would be wrinkled and dirty when he took them out but it beat having to answer uncomfortable questions.

He ran a shaky hand through his long bangs. He didn't know why he was so nervous. He'd seen Bianca dozens of times in this same spot nearly every day and yet tonight he couldn't seem to stop from biting his lip and running his hands anxiously down his shirt and slacks.

He was dressed impeccably, as usual, but it didn't stop him from wondering if Bianca would approve. It was really stupid… but there it was.

Draco walked the rest of the way down to what he now considered 'their spot.' It was where he had seen her that first time and where he had continued to visit her every afternoon 'til now. And it was there that he found her, already reclining against the old tree and staring pensively into the night.

As he made his way closer to her, he was able to study her to his leisure. Her hair was down again; it fell in curly waves down her front and back, a hair band keeping most of it away from her face. She was also wearing a dress again; it was light blue and seemed comfortable, very unlike the monstrosities he'd seen Pansy parade in front of him.

She glanced up suddenly, their eyes meeting for the first time today, and they smiled at each other simultaneously. He held her gaze until he sat down next to her and turned his head to stare out into the lake.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, simply enjoying each others' company and the warm, peaceful night.

She was the one to finally break the silence.

"I've been researching your name, Thuban." She murmured, smiling wryly up at the night sky.

He snapped his eyes back to her in surprise. She hadn't guessed his name, had she? His heart beat a little faster and he felt his palms moisten. How would he explain such an unusual name to an ordinary girl? He opened his mouth to say, he didn't know what, but was saved when she continued as if she hadn't paused.

"Thuban or Alpha Draconis… a star in the constellation of Draco, also historically significant as having been the North Pole star in ancient times…" She trailed off as if talking to herself, not noticing the wide-eyed look her companion was giving her.

"Yes, that's right…" Draco finally managed to squeak out, what else could he possibly say? This girl was very smart, he had forgotten that. He guessed that he still compared her intelligence to that of Pansy's, which wasn't a very good indicator to measure other girls' intellects against, from what he'd seen.

"But I still can't figure it out, and it's driving me nuts!" Hermione huffed. She'd spent nearly all afternoon looking into the mystery of his name and had gotten no further than when she'd started.

She'd meant to research it sooner than today but hadn't quite gotten around to it since she'd been busy having fun with Thuban and then spending the rest of her time with her parents once she'd returned home. She just couldn't find the time.

But since they hadn't met today and the grownups had spent the morning and most of the afternoon preparing for tonight's celebration, she'd finally had some time to herself.

She might as well not have even bothered.

Aside from his name being Draco, she'd no idea what else it could be. And let's face it, what kind of name was Draco? She'd never heard of anyone being named that… not even movie stars. Although, aside from a couple of movie stars and Shakespeare's play, she'd also never heard of anyone being named Hermione and she highly doubted that other parents were as cruel and unusual as her own had been. Moreover, as per his own description, his family was 'extremely old-fashioned and very traditional' which meant that a name like 'Draco' wouldn't be something they'd consider, she reasoned.

Hermione also doubted that it would be something so obvious. After all, her riddle would probably have him researching for quite some time so it came to reason that his would be the same. She just hadn't thought about it hard enough.

Draco let out a nervous laugh. He supposed the answer to his name was so strange that she hadn't wrapped her mind around it yet. Luckily, that meant she would never arrive at the right solution… she would never believe it anyway.

He was also impressed that she'd actually started looking, the thought hadn't really crossed his mind since he was happy to know her as Bianca… real names just brought a barrage of unwanted issues which he'd much rather ignore.

In an attempt to divert her from her current train of thought, he decided that now would be as good a time as any to present her with his gift. He fumbled briefly inside his pocket until he grasped the necklace and held it tightly in his fist.

"I-I've… got something for you…" He murmured, uncharacteristically shy. He could feel his cheeks warming under her gaze and couldn't help dropping his eyes to the ground. He was so mortified!

"You've got something for me?" She asked just as softly, her attention now focused solely on him.

He took his hand out of his pocket slowly, bringing it to hover inches from her face and letting the pendant dangle from its chain in front of her eyes.

Her eyes opened wide, a small gasp escaping her lips.

"Wow…" was all she managed to say; she was quite at a loss for words.

Her silence was making him even more nervous. He gathered some courage and lifted his face slightly so he could see her reaction from the corner of his eyes. She was staring at the thing as if mesmerized by it, her big brown eyes unable to hide her surprise and appreciation.

That naked emotion in her face had him turning fully to her and meeting her gaze.

"Do you like it?" He dared to ask, more sure of himself now since the answer to his question was already very obvious.

"Like it? I love it! Wow, Thuban! It is beautiful!" Hermione heard herself gush but couldn't seem to stop. She'd always hated silly girls and yet here she was acting like one. She just couldn't seem to help it, though!

"Happy Birthday, Bianca." He smiled at her, enjoying the happy expression that brightened her features.

"Can I see it?" She asked, extending her hand so he could place the necklace in it.

He handed it to her then watched her as she brought it close to her face and studied it in wonderment.

"This doesn't look fake, Thuban." She whispered as she scrutinized the pendant, her eyes flickering briefly to him before going back to their task.

He was very silent in turn, refusing to give her an answer in this matter. He was sill trying to forget the importance of that trinket and how many ways his father would skin him if he ever found out what he'd done with it.

"Would you help me put it on?" She asked suddenly, startling him out of his reverie.

Hermione stood up and gave him her back, offering the necklace to him over her shoulder and sweeping her hair aside to make it easier for him.

He stared up at her for a moment before getting up in one swift movement and wiping his hands on his trousers. He took the chain from her fingers and fumbled briefly with the clasp before lifting it and draping it across her neck.

"Thank you. I will cherish it forever." She said as she twirled back around to stare up at him, her hand coming to rest on the pendant.

Hermione gasped and let her hand drop and inch lower to grasp the other piece of jewelry she had forgotten she had around her neck. She held it between thumb and forefinger as she came to a decision and lifted her arms to unclasp it.

"This is a necklace I've had for as long as I can remember… and I think you should have it." She said as she held it out for him to take.

Draco stared at her hand apprehensively, unsure of how to react to this turn of events.

"I think you've misunderstood, Bianca. I didn't give you that necklace so that you felt obligated to give me something back." He frowned at her, a little bit offended at her actions.

"No, Thuban… I think **you** are the one who does not understand **me**. I'm not giving you this as repayment; I'm giving this to you as an exchange!" She exclaimed happily.

"You are right; I'm not quite following you." He said confusedly, still refusing to take the proffered gift.

"Now I have something to remember you by but you have nothing… this way, you'll have something of mine with you! Get it?" She asked, sure that he would understand her reasoning now. "Besides, if you refuse it I'll give you back yours and never talk to you again!" She grinned to let him know she was kidding about that last part.

Draco's frown melted away into a smile and he nodded once, holding out his hand so she could drop it in it.

Now it was his turn to fall quiet as he studied this unexpected addition to his repertoire. He looked at it for a few moments but could not place the picture portrayed in the pendant. He supposed it had to be something extremely Muggle in order for him to have absolutely no reference as to what it could possibly be.

"It's Saint George during his famous capture of the dragon of Libya." She offered helpfully when she noticed the puzzled look on his face. Sometimes she really wondered about her friend. Honestly, who didn't know who St. George was?

"Capture of the dragon?" He chuckled to himself. Bianca really needed to start paying attention to all of the little clues fate seemed to be giving her.

"Yes… but I don't see what's so funny about that." She said testily.

"Nothing… absolutely nothing!" He exclaimed quickly as to avert any unnecessary quarreling tonight. "Would you do the honors?" He asked kindly, giving her the necklace back and turning around for her as she'd done for him.

He slowly turned to face her again when she was done, beaming down at his present.

"He is the patron Saint of boy scouts, soldiers and farmers." Hermione finished her explanation, leaving out the fact that her paternal grandmother had giving it to her for protection as her surname was Granger which, in both French and in English, meant farm bailiff.

"Fascinating." He replied sincerely. He'd never heard of him before and he always loved learning new things. "I shall never take it off!" He exclaimed impulsively, not realizing what he was quite saying until it was already too late.

"Really, Thuban? Do you promise?" She asked, inexplicably breathless at his declaration.

He didn't have the heart to take it back now that he'd said it and the expectant grin she was giving him made it nearly impossible to do so, hence he simply smiled and nodded his head in assent.

She squealed in delight and threw her hands around his neck in a tight hug. He stood motionless for a heartbeat before wrapping his arms uncertainly around her waist and hugging her back.

Hermione stepped back away from him almost as suddenly as she'd embraced him, her eyes twinkling merrily with delight.

"Close your eyes, Thuban." She ordered, coming to a decision that, unbeknownst to her at that moment, would change the course of her life forever.

He furrowed his brow momentarily at the odd request, finally complying when he didn't see any harm in doing so. He did trust her after all.

Draco felt her small hands coming to rest on his shoulders and could swear he could feel the vacillation in her before his eyes flew open at the soft pressure against his lips. To say that he was shocked would've been an understatement. What was he supposed to do in this sort of situation!?

He stood uncertainly for a moment, staring at her closed eyes, before letting his own fall closed and marveling at the feel of warm breath and incredibly soft lips resting upon his own.

He didn't know what to do with his hands so he simply let them hang limply by his side, his fingers clenching and unclenching anxiously.

He was so caught up in the novelty of the moment that he missed the outraged intake of breath at his back and the accompanying words of indignation; he was also too late to realize that the prickly feeling in the nape of his neck was not a result of the pleasant feeling evoked by a first kiss but by the much more sinister preamble of a raised wand and a whispered incantation.

He was shaken out of the lovely haze as Bianca was suddenly ripped away from him, a blood curdling scream wrenched from her throat as she flew across the clearing and crashed against a nearby tree, finally falling to the ground with a sickening crunch.

The smell of magic swirled around the edges of his senses as he stared in disbelief at the slumped form of his companion, his stomach twisting at the taste of bile rising to the back of his throat, one word finally falling from his nerveless lips:

"Bianca…"

*********************

Jeez, this chapter took forever to write and I'm still unsure if I'm happy with it. Apparently watching The Sound of Music at the same time as writing a somewhat angst filled ending don't go very well together ^_^! Please do review, I've enjoyed reading your wonderful reviews and they let me know that I'm doing okay so far! They also help keep me motivated. Thank you to everyone who has done so already!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: This story was inspired by the Colombian soap opera "Pura Sangre" by Tania Cardenas, Mauricio Navas, Guillermo Restrepo and Conchita Ruiz. Also Harry Potter and any of its characters do not belong to me but to the wonderful J.K.R.

Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews everyone! Please keep them coming! So sorry for taking so long, real life and all…

Enjoy!

***********

"Bianca!" He yelled, now frantic with worry when he noticed she was not moving.

He ran to her lifeless body uncaring of the sharp order snapped at him. He stopped and hovered over her, unsure of how to proceed, before falling to his knees and gingerly reaching his shaking hands to her body and slowly turning her until she was lying on her back.

A sob escaped his lips at his first real look at her. Blood trickled from her open lips; her left arm was twisted at an impossible angle and dirt sullied her face and dress. Draco trailed his fingers up to trace her features, willing them to awaken once again… to brighten with the ever-present happiness that always seemed to flow around her.

He didn't realize he was crying until the salty drops splashed against her cheeks. He cradled her head in his arms and let the misery drown him, despair making him almost incoherent. He rocked back and forth as he cried and buried his face in the crook of her neck, tightening his arms in a crushing embrace.

And as he let the sorrow overtake him the world seemed to go into overdrive. Hard hands grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked, startling him enough that his grip slackened and Bianca fell back on the ground as another pull had him standing up and staring into the angry eyes of his father.

Draco was still in too much shock to grasp what his father being there, wand in hand, meant. He watched with blurry eyes as his father's hand rose high and came down again, the force of the blow making his head snap violently to the side. The strike had the desired effect for he felt as if he'd been jolted back into his body, a small hand rising to his stinging cheek as he turned to look upon his enraged father once again.

They stood staring at one another for a moment, Lucius breathing hard through gritted teeth and struggling to control the urge to strangle his only son.

"Father…" Draco whispered, for this was another first. His father had never struck him before, at least not like this. He might've earned an errant smack on his rump once in a while when he was misbehaving, but it had never been like this.

He'd also never seen his father this angry before. Angry enough that Draco swore he could feel the snap of his father's aura against his skin and see fire dancing in his eyes.

"Quiet! You _disobedient_ little brat!" Lucius finally exploded, his ire not satisfied by the resounding slap he'd just delivered. He bent forward and grabbed Draco by the arms, shaking him as he sputtered angrily "Of all the **things** you could've done this is the most…disgusting… reprehensible….**defiant**…. I-I…" He trailed off, his grip tightening painfully until his son cried out in protest.

Lucius' mind had literally shut down. He couldn't think straight, he was so outraged. Never in his wildest dreams would he have thought that he would **ever** find his son _kissing_ _a_ _Muggle_. The mere thought made him want to scrub his body inside and out and purify everything in his wake.

He'd always known he'd been soft on the boy. Letting Narcissa coddle him and indulge his every whim was to blame for all of this. Every time he'd tried to educate the boy she would always intervene.

But no more. This would end now. He had irrefutable proof that her way had not worked and now it was time to do things his way.

His son, his **only** son, was sullied. He was **dirty.** And he would take up the burden of straightening him up. Lucius would make sure that something like this would never happen again.

"F-Father… B-Bianca…" Draco tried to speak again, he had to try and reason with his father, and still not realizing what was really happening since his thought processes couldn't seem to get past the thought of his friend lying on the ground presumably dead.

"You _dare_ to speak its name to me!?" Lucius roared and pushed Draco forcefully away from him.

Draco stumbled but managed to stay upright as his father turned away from him, running his hands roughly through his long hair. Draco could only stand and stare fearfully up at his father, afraid to speak another word.

His eyes shifted helplessly to Bianca's body and then back to his father as the man took deep breaths in a seeming attempt to calm down. And it was as he watched his father, wand still in his hand, that Draco finally realized what had most likely happened.

Draco shook his head slowly, denial in the forefront of his mind. He knew his father hated Muggles. He knew that his parents would be beyond angry if they ever found out about Bianca. Yet, never would he have thought that his father would harm a defenseless girl just because of her unfortunate birth.

And just as his father finally seemed to come back to his senses, Draco felt a trickle of true fear slither down his spine at the realization that he didn't truly know this man in front of him or the things he was capable of.

He was trembling again but this time it was out of dread. His whole body was shaking with tremors, his head spinning in overload. In just a handful of minutes he'd gone through a spectrum of emotions that had left him reeling and weak-limbed.

Lucius turned back to his son and sneered. The boy finally had the look in his eyes that bespoke of knowledge and a healthy dose of anxiety.

It seemed like his boy finally understood and **that** thought pleased him.

"Come, boy… and make sure not to leave anything behind." He ordered tersely, not expecting any more objections from his son.

Draco moved as if in a daze. He stole one more look at Bianca, his eyes softening with pain, before walking back to the bush where he'd hidden his broom and his robes and moving to follow the elder Malfoy as he picked his way through the uneven path. He struggled to keep up with his father's long strides, afraid of what falling behind might mean for him.

Lucius didn't glance back once, knowing that Draco wouldn't dare to defy him again… at least not tonight. '_Or ever again',_ he thought angrily.

He'd nearly forgotten about his son tonight after being successfully distracted by his wife. He'd almost never found out what his treacherous son had been up to.

Luckily, his wife was often drowsy after their lovemaking and sweeping her into his arms and taking her up to their rooms without protest had been easy. He'd almost succumbed to her siren's call and slipped beneath the covers behind her but he'd wanted to check on the boy before going to bed himself.

Imagine his surprise at not only not finding Draco in his bed, like he was supposed to be, but not being able to find him anywhere in the mansion. Fortunately, it didn't take a genius to put two and two together and deduce where he was most likely to find him.

He'd quickly chucked his night robe and pulled on trousers and a shirt and hurried off to see if he could finally solve the mystery behind his son's constant disappearances and been just in time to see the _Muggle_ lean in and press her lips to his son's. He'd had his wand drawn and a _'stupefy'_ flying through the air even before he'd had a mind to do so.

To say he was in no mood to deal with a hysterical boy would be an understatement.

They made it back to the mansion in record time with Lucius reaching the door first and standing back to let Draco stumble through before slamming it close behind them.

He reached forward and grabbed the back of Draco's shirt before he could escape, and pulled him back to stand in front of him. He shook the boy once to make sure he was listening before uttering his last order of the night. "You are to go to your room and not come out until I say you may. Is that understood?"

Draco could only nod and hope his father didn't see how hard he was trying not to cry. He knew that any tears he might shed at the moment would not just be greeted by the usual indifference since his cheek still felt warm from when Lucius had stricken him before.

He felt Lucius' grip loosen and didn't waste any time in scrambling away to his bedroom. He was halfway up the staircase when he heard the door to his father's study slam close; Draco flinched at the sound but didn't stop walking until he reached the safety of his room.

He leant back against the bedroom door for a moment, struggling to catch his breath, letting his broom and robe fall forgotten to the floor.

"Bianca…" He whispered, finally able to let the memory of her broken body float to the forefront of his mind. A sob rose suddenly in his throat followed quickly by another and another until tears blurred his sight and the sounds of his sorrow filled the quiet room.

He pushed his body away from the door and made his way to his bed, crawling gingerly to the middle of it and lying down on his side, his arms wrapping protectively around his waist as he continued to cry brokenly into his pillow.

"Oh, Bianca…" He cried once more unable to think of anything else, his body shaking.

He kept seeing her face in his mind's eye. Bianca as she smiled happily up at him; Bianca's warm brown eyes sparkling with mischief as she dove into the lake; Bianca staring seriously into his eyes as she strove to answer another one of his inane questions.

Bianca's prone body and still face, blood trickling ominously from her lips.

Draco cried until he couldn't cry any more, exhaustion finally claiming him and making him fall into a fitful sleep, his overwrought mind plagued by nightmares until he startled awake again in the early morning hours.

He stared vacantly at the canopy of his bed, an errant tear trickling down the side of his face and into his hair.

He felt an emptiness he'd never felt before, devoid of feeling, his young mind too immature to completely grasp all of the nuances of what had happened.

But as he traced the patterns weaved into the fabric of the covering, his brain coming to terms with what he had witnessed and what he knew his family to be, he was old enough to comprehend that his actions were to blame for everything.

Bianca's death was his fault.

Draco had known that meeting with Bianca was against the rules. His parents and the rest of his family hated Muggles. He knew the rules better than anyone else and yet he hadn't been able to help himself.

He thought he would go crazy from thinking about all of the things he could've done differently and everything always led back to his original thought: He was the only one to blame.

If only he'd walked away that first day… If only he'd treated her as he was supposed to and never let her get so close to him… If only he hadn't become her friend… If only he hadn't let her kiss him…

Even his father's reaction was his fault. He should've never befriended her, especially knowing how his father felt. It was actually his father's lessons that had kept him from sharing everything with Bianca and he'd foolishly thought that sheltering her would keep her safe.

Oh, how stupid he'd been!

And now she'd had to pay and pay dearly.

Bianca would never laugh again, play again… She would never grow up and be happy.

It was his fault!

He was wicked.

He'd been bad and this was his punishment for his curiosity… for thinking that being friends with a Muggle would ever be okay… for breaking all of the rules that every Pureblood son and daughter should always follow.

For ever thinking he needed a friend.

He never wanted to feel like this again. He never wanted to be responsible of another's fate ever again.

Just the thought that he could ever feel this wretched again made his stomach turn. He knew he would miss Bianca and that he would remember her forever but he was too young to understand the true depth of his feelings and in truth he was too scared to study them too closely.

It was a different Draco Malfoy that got up that morning and made his way to the open window.

And as Draco stared up at the lightening sky, the sound of a promise resonated deeply to the bottom of his soul:

**Never again**.

***************

Yikes! Please tell me what you think, I'm not completely pleased with this chapter and it was really difficult to write for some reason so I would really appreciate some feedback.


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